Karaoke Forums

Hi all,

Please help me out on choosing a decent mixer, wireless microphone and Speakers for my home Karaoke.

I currently have a Denon AVR-3803 receiver and would like to get a pair of speakers just for Karaoke. I was looking at BMB CS450V and I just picked that pair from Soundtek but it doesn't say that it was Made in Japan. How do I identify if these speakers are real or not. I can return it if it is not made from BMB or it could be an replica type. I got it for $100..but the bass was ok.

Second, I'm thinking of getting the BMB DX-3000 Mixer and also looking at the VOCOPRO brand. does anyone has any experience or know anything about these two brands. If so, which model is good. I'm looking to pay around $250 for the mixer.

Third, the Wireless microphone. As everyone knows, Karaoke reqruies some pretty good vocal microphone. I was looking at the Nissindo LX 9292 and the Acesonic UHF-1208X, Both uses the UHF frequency but I'm not sure how is the quality and the performance of them.

Can someone here who has knowledge if these help me out? Thanks

The acesonic you would have to replace in June as it is within the frquencies that are being banned. Actually both are in those areas. I'd look elsewhere for your wireless mikes.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Thanks for replying? Any recommendation? And also which frequency and you saying that will be ban? Thanks

Stay away from any Microphones operating in the 699-802 Mhz range. Ask before you buy to make sure you don't get stuck. For a mixer, I'd say look at the small Yamaha MG series boards, much better sounding, better features and they don't cost much more than what you're looking at now. You could also get away with a small Mackie or even a Behringer, both of which would be far better than the other models you're looking at.

As far as the speakers you're looking at, I'm not familiar with BMB but I don't care for the design used on the cabinets. I would look at more of a traditional 2-way (woofer & horn) speaker. Those BMB's look like an extremely cheap knock-off attempt of the Bose 802.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

BMB is the original manufaturer of Nikkodo products. They are pretty much Home grade electronics.

Letitrip is correct on suggesting something better than the mixers you are looking at.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Thanks letitrip for responding.

I was wondering for the mixer you suggested. Is that for home Karaoke where it has individual settings for treble, mid, bass, Vocal, and audio switch to increase and decrease the level of sound? Also, I try serach for the Yamaha MG mixer and I can't find any. Is there a specific model?

As for the wireless microphone, which brand or model should I get in order to stay away from those frequency. I'm shooting to pay around $220 or so. Please let me know. Thanks

Yamaha MG82CX, it's a small format pro-audio mixer. It has 3-band EQ control for each Mic Channel and level controls for each channel. Additionally, that model has built in effects for adding reverb, delay, chorus, etc and it also has built in compression to help smooth out the vocals.

Is your $220 budget for everything or just the mics? The mixer can be had for around $150 brand new but that'd eat up your budget if the total is $220. You might want to look around on the used market. As far as mics, there is no special model that will be outside the 700Mhz as such (many models have different ranges under the same model number), you just need to ask and make sure the ones you purchase aren't in that range. If you're limited on budget and have to have wireless then I'd recommend looking at the UHF models from Vocopro. Of the cheapo mics, they're probably the best sounding ones out there.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Hey Letitrip..thanks for the reply for the Yamaha model. My budget of $220 was just the mixer itself and I'm willing to pay an addition $200 or so for the wireless microphone.

Do you think this Vocopro DA-1055 PRO ($129) or DA-2200 PRO ($229) mixer model good? Both range between $120 -$230. It between my range. Is Vocopro a good brand for mixer??

As for the wireless microphone, what do I need to look for to get a decent cardiod vocal out of it besides watching out for the frequency range (700mhz to avoid from)?

Are these brand good for wireless microphone? Nissindo, Acesonic, Vocopro, BetterMusicBuilder? these are in the price range for my budget. Thanks

No, Vocopro is not a good brand of mixer, seriously if you're looking at spending $129-229 for a mixer, get the Yamaha, it's much MUCH better quality in that same price range. As far as microphones, of the four brands you mentioned I'd go with the Vocopro there. They're not great mics, but are better than the others you've mentioned and would perform decenly for you. I used to use the UHF-5800's before I bought my Shure PG58's.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Hey Letitrip,

The Yamaha mixer you recommend does seem great but is there another model you can recommend me becuase that model is more for DJ table top and i would like to get one like a set top component for my home use. I'm not a DJ or anything so it would be good to get something that blend into the home entertainment system.

The Microphone..I was thinking of the Vocopro IR 9000 since it uses the infrared. so UHF or VHF frequency will not be a problem. your thoughts?

Hi, I was planning on getting the Yamaha MG82CX, but after reading the manual online I am confuse about mic inputs. My mics are 1/4 jacks, not xlr plugs. Will my mic work if I just plug it into the 1/4 jack slot? In the diagram it doesn't mention about 1/4 inch jack mic input. And if I do get a mic with XLR plugs, can I plug both the 1/4 inch jack and the xlr into the same inputs? Thanks for your time!

Microphones don't have plugs in that sense. At least if they are anything approaching a decent karaoke microphone. The cable plugs into both the nicrophone and the mixer. If you have a 1/4" plug on one end, that means you are using a cable that goes from XLR to 1/4". This could be a TS cable (Tip/Shield, unbalanced) or TRS (Tip/Ring/Shield, nominally balanced).

You can use either the 1/4" jack or the XLR jack, not both at the same time. Theoretically each should work, though how a 1/4" to XLR cable is wired would be a matter of speculation. Most or all of us use XLR cables for several reasons (plug reliability, wiring confidence, balanced connection, etc.)

If your mic does go directly to a 1/4" cable, I would suggest getting a better microphone. Even a Behringer XM8500 along with an XLR-->XLR cable is going to be a big improvement over the kind of mic that doesn't have a separate cable.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I have a couple of 1/4ths to xlr and they work fine. Originally bough them for the mikes but that was before I went with mikes that had xlr outputs. Now they connect my mixer and amplifier. When I replace my wireless' next month I'll be switching the cables around since the new mikes are going to only have 1/4th jacks.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Well ok, here's your predicament as I see it. You have to make the choice of a crappy mixer that will look like one of the multiple components in your home theater system or a quality mixer that doesn't fit into that same form factor. Simply put no company that makes quality mixers makes them in a set-top chassis. There are some rack mount options or larger powered mixers but neither of those would really fit in. The cost is the same to you either way so you'll have to make the decision between quality and appearance. That's a prioritization you've gotta set on your own based on your own needs.

I'd stay away from the InfraRed systems. One of the biggest drawbacks is the need for line of sight between the mic and the receiver. if someone turns around with the mic or someone else stands between the mic and the receiver, poof the mic stops working. Stick with RF, it's MUCH more forgiving with LOS.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

From what I understand the LOS isn't an issue with the IR 9000.
RF is great if you want interference. From what I heard there isn't that in the IR systems. I'm planning on trying the system out myself.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I'd sure like to have that one explained. How can it not be, it's a light beam, if you put a solid object between the source and the receiver the light does not pass through and reach the receiver. Everything I've seen so far on IR very clearly states that LOS IS a requirement. In fact, manufacturers of IR Mics even brag about the placement of the emitter in locations on the mic that are less likely to be blocked by the speakers/singers hand. Now I suppose you can rely on reflections off your walls and such, but that seems to be an awfully unreliable plan. Afterall, multipath interference is just as much an issue in IR systems as it is in RF systems. Also, I'm curious how sunlight affects it. Every other traditional IR situation that I'm familiar with (Computers, remote controls, proximity sensors, etc) are all adversely affected by both direct and in many cases even reflected sunlight.

Additionally I do know what I've researched in the past that the advertised range of infrared microphones is usually less than 1/4 of that of a RF microphone. Not a concern in this application but something for anyone considering IR mics for a club situation to be aware of.

As far as interference from other sources in RF systems, well that's one of the differences between quality and cheap wireless systems now isn't it. Frequency agility and diversity antennas make a huge difference. IR is not immune to this type of interference either, although it is admittedly less likely simply because fewer devices use IR. However, if you had two IR sources operating in the same or related frequency ranges pointed at the same receiver, it will cause interference. So conceivably it would be possible for your TV remote to interfere with the microphones (again although not likely given the relative limited use of IR versus RF).

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

For home Karaoke --is UHF really needed ?

Home Karaoke System :
Behringer Powered Mixer PMP9060m $300
Behringer B212XL 12" 800W Passive Titanium PA Speaker $300 for the PAIR
Nady DKW Duo VHF wireless Microphones - $40.00

I've used each of those components at one time or another in a profesional karaoke show. The mixer and speaker combo will exceed any home application and the microphones are a great deal and sound good. --TRY THEM like anything else if you don't like it you can always return it for another.

You don't need to spends $2500 for a home set up to get good sound

But you have to get better mics than those Nadys. No matter how many times you say they are good, I will say they are junk. Do you think if you say it enough times it becomes true?

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

At the very least if you didn't want a table top model, i'd opt for even the Behringer RX1202
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=631275
Still 10 times better then the VocoPro stuff. I don't really like either brand, but if it only came down to a space issue, i'd definitely go with the Behringer in this case.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Whoever claimed that one did?

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!